Star Trek: 50 artists 50 years

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the original Star Trek series, 50 artists plus a few famous fans and the late Leonard Nimoy have contributed a range of art to this book. Entries come in a range of formats: everything from vintage posters and photos to sculptures, comic strips, textiles and more.

• 80 original Star Trek episodes recreated as movie posters

The most striking thing about the book is its tall, portrait format (it’s over 37cm tall). This suits the artwork, most of which is created in similar dimensions, and it makes you think more art books could try this approach.

When it comes to the art itself, it’s a mixed bag. We were impressed by the propaganda-style poster by Lucasfilm concept designer Amy Beth Christenson; the upcycled timepiece fashioned by commercial sculptor Sue Beatrice; the fun comic strip created by Mick Cassidy, a character designer for Family Guy; and the dramatic oil painting of Captain Picard by portrait artist Paul Oz, to name but a few.

But while some other contributions weren’t to our particular taste (the word ‘cheesy’ occasionally sprang to mind), there’s so much variety, plus insight from the Q&As contributed by each artist, that no Star Trek fan should be disappointed.

This article was originally published in ImagineFX magazine issue 142. Buy it here.

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